Brad Pitt joins DiCaprio in Tarantino's next

Title and synopsis revealed for Manson family murders film

Brad Pitt is joining Leonardo DiCaprio in Quentin Tarantino's upcoming Manson movie, which will be titled “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”.

Tarantino, who is writing and directing, describes the project as “a story that takes place in Los Angeles in 1969, at the height of hippy Hollywood.”

DiCaprio will play Rick Dalton, former star of a western TV series, while Pitt will be his longtime stunt double, Cliff Booth, reports Variety.

“Both are struggling to make it in a Hollywood they don't recognise anymore. But Rick has a very famous next-door neighbor…Sharon Tate,” Tarantino added.

“I've been working on this script for five years, as well as living in Los Angeles County most of my life, including in 1969, when I was 7 years old,” Tarantino said in a statement. “I'm very excited to tell this story of an LA, and a Hollywood that don't exist anymore. And I couldn't be happier about the dynamic teaming of DiCaprio & Pitt as Rick & Cliff.”

Tarantino previously worked with Pitt in “Inglourious Basterds”, which was nominated for eight Academy Awards. DiCaprio starred in the Tarantino's “Django Unchained”, which scored five Oscar nods.

The film will be released worldwide on August 9, 2019. Opening on the 50th anniversary of the day that the Manson family committed the LaBianca murders and the day after Tate was killed, the film will head off against “Artemis Fowl”, Disney's adaptation of the popular sci-fi and fantasy series.

Sony beat out several bidders, including Warner Bros. and Paramount, for rights to the film. The movie — shrouded in secrecy — is believed to involve Charles Manson and the Manson family murders. It's the first film that Tarantino is releasing without the Weinstein Company.

While earlier reports had Tom Cruise eyed for a role, he's not mentioned in this press release. It's unclear if Cruise ultimately passed on the project, or if negotiations are still ongoing. Margot Robbie is reportedly being eyed to play Tate, Cruise may or may not have been pegged to play a prosecutor, and Tarantino has also reportedly written a supporting role with Al Pacino in mind, , according to Collider.

DiCaprio is famously picky about his roles and hasn't worked since “The Revenant”, which won him an Oscar. Pitt, meanwhile, most recently wrapped James Gray's sci-fi film “Ad Astra” and may or may not be reteaming with David Fincher on “World War Z 2”.